Chapter 1379 Yates brushed off Bernardâs questions, continuing to lay down the terms with a sense of urgency that couldnât be mistaken.
âOnce youâve seen each other, you canât breathe a word to Eleanor about how Area Opacaâs been messing with your freedom, or that thereâs a chip lodged in your head. Youâre not to tell her about the forced divorce or our deal. Just play it cool and keep your role as Agent 2-9.â
Bernard, clueless about Yates endgame, knitted his brows as he listened to these bizarre demands. Without spilling the beans to Eleanor, how was he going to explain his 23 days of absence, the lack of contact, and the Sophie incident that pushed her towards divorce?
As the gears turned in Bernardâs head, a sudden realization dawned on him, and his frosty gaze lifted to meet the dark mask before him. âAre you related to Eleanor?â Only a family tie would explain Yatesâ fear of Eleanor learning about Bernardâs ordeals in Area Opaca.
Bernardâs sharp insight caused Yatesâ fingers, resting casually on his thigh, to twitch involuntarily. âSince youâve already figured it out, I might as well come clean.â
Yates had never intended to keep it a secret; it was a truth that would be evident the moment they met. Standing up from the couch, he approached Bernard and looked down at him from his greater height. âI saw Eleanor on surveillance, noticed she bore a striking resemblance to my late wife, and sought her out for a DNA test. Turns out, sheâs my granddaughter.â
So that was it...
As understanding washed over him, the light in Bernardâs eyes dimmed. âYou want me to keep quiet because youâre afraid sheâll despise you if she finds out about the chip in my brain?â
âYouâre a smart man,â Yates complimented, not stingy with praise, even as Bernardâs lips curled into a sardonic smile.
âShouldnât you cherish the family youâve finally found? Why be so cruel to her?â Bernard hadnât even pondered who Eleanorâs kin was; he was simply heartbroken for her. Having grown up without family, she must yearn for that bond. Yet her own grandfather was using him as an executioner to strike at her heart.
Yates neither confirmed nor denied Bernardâs words. Instead, he extended a gloved hand and tapped Bernardâs temple as if to emphasize a point.
âThat chip in your head? Itâs a ticking time bomb, liable to take you out any day now. If Eleanor knew you died because of it, sheâd never forgive me.â
Bernardâs heart clenched. Having already battled a brain tumor and now hosting a chip, even if it were removed, the residual toxins would spread the moment his skull was breached.
A Second Chance At Forever novel (Eleanor and Bernard)
ï¤Chapter 1378 From the moment the chip was implanted, his days were numbered. But if Eleanor knew his time was short, sheâd be heartbroken.
With his gaze dropping to his trembling hands, Bernard clenched his fists as if gathering all his strength. âI wonât tell Eleanor about the chip. As for your other conditions, I refuse.â
Eleanor loved him; if she knew about the chip, sheâd live in constant worry, she would never be happy again.
Bernard was willing to bear the silent slipping away of his life rather than let Eleanor live in sorrow over his impending death.
His reasoning was simple. As long as she was alive and he wasnât yet dead, there was a chance for them, as long as misunderstandings werenât deepened. And those misunderstandings were precisely what Yatesâ other conditions-about restricted freedom and the coerced divorceâwould cause.
Yates, looking down, saw the man who had not stood up but still exuded an aura of defiance. âYou can refuse, but then youâll never see Eleanor again.â
At that, Bernardâs lips curled into a bitter smirk. âIf Iâm not mistaken, she mustâve uncovered your identity, realized youâre the founder of Area Opaca.
You couldnât hide it, so you had to agree to let her meet me.â
Yates showing up in the middle of the night, and his absurd conditions were a dead giveaway-heâd been exposed by Eleanor and had no choice but to shut Bernard up before things got worse.
Seeing through Yatesâ thoughts, Bernard felt a mix of annoyance and respect. A brief exchange was all it took for Bernard to deduce everything. But Yates wasnât worried. He was banking on Bernardâs longing for Eleanor, confident that sentiment would eventually lead Bernard to accept his terms.
âEleanor did uncover my identity, and thatâs why Iâve come to negotiate. You know what Iâm after, donât you?â
Bernardâs indifferent gaze drifted past the figure cloaked in black, settling on the rows of glass chambers in the biozone. âYou wonât let go of your vendetta against the Siren Organization, and I must avenge my comrades. The war between us wonât end, which is why you donât want Eleanor and me together.â
Impulsive Vow to an Enigmatic Husband (END)
ï¤Chapter 1765 (END)